CURIOUS LEGEND. 317 



equally unsuccessful. " Once I heard a man of influence," 

 says the reverend gentleman, " telling his story on the sub- 

 ject. I, of course, could not say that I believed the won- 

 drous tale, but very mildly hinted that he might be misin- 

 formed, on which he swore, by his ancestors and his king, 

 that he had visited the spot, and paid a tax to see the won- 

 der ; and that, consequently, his testimony was indubitable." 



The Namaquas have the following singular superstition 

 with regard to the hare, which no adult is allowed to eat. 

 The legend involves the sublime Christian doctrine of im- 

 mortality. 



Once upon a time the moon called the hare, and com- 

 manded him to convey to man the following message : " As 

 I die and am born again,* so you shall die and be again 

 alive." The hare hastened to obey ; but instead of saying, 

 "As I die and am born again," he said, "As I die and am 

 not born again." On his return, the moon inquired what 

 words he had conveyed to mankind ; and on being informed, 

 the luminary exclaimed, "What! have you said to man, 

 *As I die and am not born again, so you shall die and not 

 be again alive !' " And with this he hurled a stick at the 

 hare with such force as to split open his lips, which is the 

 cause of the pecuhar formation of this animal's mouth. The 

 hare quickly betook himself to flight, and is said to be flying 

 to the present day. The old Namaquas used to say, "We 

 are still enraged with the hare, because he has brought such 

 a bad message, and we will not eat him." 



On the occasion of a youth coming of age, or, rather, when 

 becoming a "man," there is great rejoicing. From that day 

 forward he is forbidden to eat the hare, or even to come in 

 contact with the fire where this animal has been prepared. 

 Should he transgress this command, he is not unfrequently 

 banished from his werft, though, on paying a fine, he may 



* When speaking of the moon, the Namaquas do not say, like our- 

 selves, that it rises and sets, but that " it dies and is born again." 



